Patent CA-2221622-A1 (CA)
Inventor: OTTLYK NICHOLAS M
IPC: F01L1/20
Filed: 1998-01-29
Abstract: Attains' New Spring Assemblies, called "ANSA" for short, are designed to function in all Internal Combustion (I.C.) engines using poppet valves. The said engines may be of the gasoline, or Diesel-type, of the 4-stroke, or 2-stroke variety with valves. ANSA Valve Trains are intended for OHV motors (with pushrods and rockers), or SOHC engines (with rockers only), or DOHC engines with, or without rockers. The number of cylinders, their disposition within an engine, as well as the end-use of a11 said motors are transparent to their application. The older SV (Side Valve) motors, with so-called 'flat-heads', are no longer produced for automotive lines, and are not covered by Attains inovations.     Nearly 100% of the above enumerated categories of engines use compression coil springs in their valve mechanisms.      Noted exceptions are: 1. desmodromic valve trains (operating without main springs are found currently only in motocycle engines produced by the Italian Ducati, and 2. engines using torsion springs in the past (e. g.. the French automobile Dyna-Panhard in the 1950's, and in the Honda motocycles in the 1970' s.) The said embodiments of ANSA Valve Trains modifies only the cylinder head of an engine; only components found between the camshafts and the valves are affected. These are: the pushrods (in OHV motors only), the rockers, valve-lash adjusters, springs and the valves' stems. All other major engine assemblies and components remain the same, including the engine's short-block, i.e. the motor, without its cylinder head (s).     -II-Equally unaffected are the engine's key operating systems, also referred to as engine management systems, namely: * the camshaft systems, their timing, lift, valve overlap, concentric opening and closing of the valves and "variable indexing", if any * the ignition systems, i.e. the timing and firing of the spark plugs, usually under the control of a micro-processor * the fuel (injection) system, i.e. its timing delivery and the quantity of fuel needed, also governed by discrete computer functions.      As to the engine's cylinder head, two key design elements also remain unaffected; they are: * the combustion chamber - its shape, volume (measured normally in cubic centimeters), the location of the spark plug(s) in the chamber, and the placement of the valves (expressed in terms of IVA~, i.e. included valve angle), the lift of the valves (often called the 'valve curtain') the sizes of the valves' heads and their seating angles in the cylinder head itself * the engine ports both the intake and exhaust ports.      Hence, the conclusion, that the combustion process of any engine to which the ANSA Valve Trains have been applied, will retain its combustion process at a status quo level, with all its implications of compliance to environmental conditions and to the EPA bodies (Environmental Protection Agency) that test and certify all new engines annually.     -III-However, the application of ANSA's Valve Train componentry to the cylinder head of the said engines claims a substantial reduction in its height, in a range of 45% to 50%, when measured vertically up from the 'deck-line' (the interface between the engine's short-block and the cylinder head) and also a 40% to 45%+ reduction in the height of the main cylinder head casting, measured in the same way. Also claimed is a 25% to 45% reduction of the valve trains' reciprocating weight, through a substantial reduction in the physical size of related valve train components.      Also the said attributes and claims of ANSA's Valve Trains lead to an overall cylinder head weight reduction in the range of 25% to 35%, translating into significant reduction of materials usage, production costs and realization of manufacturing economies. An average-size V-8 motor, if made out of steel, is claimed to be 50 to 100 lbs, lighter, saving between $65 to $100 per engine in production.      Being substantially lighter, ANSA Valve Train components will operate with reduced spring pressures, leading to a reduction of the internal friction in all engines that take advantage of the said valve trains. Also, reduction of the internal friction is known toincrease the mechanical efficiency of the engine.      Operating with reduced valve-stem sizes and reduced diameter valve guides, Attains Valve Trains also claim to enhance the volumetric efficiency of a given engine, since the said valve train components will now offer a reduced resistance to the incoming fuel/air mixture, as well as to the gases leaving the engine's exhaust port.